Circuit breaker and controller



Feb. 13, 1923. 1,445,262 J. c. ANDERSON CIRCUIT BREAKER AND CONTROLLERFiled Dec. 12, 1919 2 sheets-sheet l Z0 I N I g fi V 5 i g 5/ X0 Z9 iflE U I O (D O r 0 7/ O /z y (1]) j/ m Q 0 5 Z; J/VITNESS; Z ff INVENTOR.

z; BY

M y ATTORNEYS.

Feb. 13, 1923. 1,445,262

J. C. ANDERSON CIRCUIT BREAKER AND CONTROLLER Filed Dec. 12, 1919 2sheets-sheet 2 WITNESS: INVEN TOR. M I Z Z N A T ORNEYS.

Patented Feb. 13, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCE.

JAMES C. ANDERSON, OF RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO VARIJEY DUPLEXMAGNET COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

CIRCUIT BREAKER AND CONTROLLER.

Application filed December 12, 1919. Serial No. 344,407.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES C. ANDERSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Rutherford, in the county of Bergen and State of New Jersey,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Circuit Breakersand Controllers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

My invention relates to the breaker systems for the ignition circuits ofinternal combustion engines for automobiles and the like, and hasparticular relation to means for maintaining various desirable durationsof electrical dwell or closed condition of the circuit withinpredetermined ranges of engine speed. As is well known, the duration ofdwell or closed condition of the breaker contacts must be for such aperiod as will enable the energy in the primary coil to rise to thecritical value required to produce a spark of the necessary intensity,and this period must remain substantially constant or within certainpermissible limits for high and low speeds. It is manifest that in orderto attain this result the relationship between the periods of open andclosed contact position for each actuation of the cam must be variedwith the speed, the period of closed condition or electrical dwell beingrelatively longer at high speed.

One object of my invention is to provide simple and reliable means foreffecting the regulation of the period of electrical dwell. Anotherobject is to combine with said means a suitable circuit controlleroperative to positively open the primary of the ignition circuit whenthe engine is at rest, the two being so coordinated as to avoid rubbingcontact between rotary and non-rotary parts when the engine is runningand the primary circuit is closed at the points controlled by thecircuit controller. Still other objects and advantages of my inventionwill appear from the following description.

In accordance with my invention I provide a plurality of breaker cams orcam surfaces shaped to differentially control the cam follower withrespect to the relation between the open and closed contact position,together with speed controlled means for automatically shifting the camfollower from one cam surface to another in accordance with variationsin speed. For this purpose it is most convenient to arrange the surfacesaxially upon the cam shaft and to axially sh ft them relative to thefollower by some suitable governor or centrifugal device, and I havefound the sliding ball construction such as illustrated to be excellentfor this purpose.

The shiftable member has a bias to a position of lowest speed, and it isso shaped that in this pos1t1on it engages a movable contact carriercontrolling the primary of the ignitloncircult and holds the contactopen. Immediately after the engine is cranked the shiftable member ismoved by the governor sufiiciently to close the contact and disengagethe shiftable member from the contact carrier, thereby eliminating thewear incident to a rubbing contact.

My invention also contemplates, in combination with the automaticallyshiftable cam to maintain the period of electrical dwell of the breakercontacts within predetermined limits at various engine speeds, suitablemeans preferably manually controlled for shlfting the cam follower ofthe breaker system angularly about the breaker cam in order to controlthe instant of sparking relative to the position of the respectivepistons of the engine. I maintain the two functions. to wit: the controlof the electrical dwell and the control of the instant of sparking.independent in accordance with In invention. for the reason that the twounctions should follow different characteristics. While the change inthe proportion of the open and closed contact positions shouldsubstantially follow the speed curve of the engine, the inst-ant ofsparking should more nearly follow the power curve of the engine.

In the drawings I have shown one embodiment of my invention which Ishall now describe, but it will be understood that this is only intendedto be illustrative and that my invention may be embodied inconstructions differing widely from the form here shown.

Fig. 1 is a vertical section on the line 11 of Figure 3;

Fig. 2 is a plan with the cover sectioned;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section through the centrifugal device;

Fig. 4 is a transverse section through the distributor Fig. 5 is adetail in elevation of the cam and adjacent parts; and

Figs. 6 and 7 are transverse sections of the cam on lines 6-'6 and 7--7respectively. of Figure 5.

In the illustrated construction the breaker cam 1 is a double faced camconnected through means hereinafter described. to the vertical shaft 2.which is supported at its lower end in a hollow standard 3 and is drivenfrom the engine through a stub shaft 4 and gears 5 and 6. The upper endof the shaft 2 about which the cam 1 is disposed is reduced in diameter,and the cam is adapted to slide up and down about this reduced portionwhile being rotated with the shaft, A nut 7 on the upper end of theshaft 2 Serves as an abutment for the upper end of a coil spring 8 whichsurrounds the shaft 2' and bears on top of the cam 1. The gravity of thespring and cam and of other parts carried thereby gives a bias to thecam to the lowermost position. In this position there is a slightclearance between the top of spring 8 and the nut 7, as is shown in Fig.1, for a purpose which will appear hereinafter. A relatively stationarycam follower 9 on the end of a flat spring arm 10 is arranged tocooperate with either face of the cam and thereby control the breakercontact 11 carried by the spring arm 10. As shown in the drawings, thecam follower cooperates with the upper cam face in the biased positionof the cam, and will cooperate with the lower cam face when the cam ismoved upward against the tension of the spring 8.

The breaker cam 1 is shown as a six lobed cam for a six cylinder engine,and is rotated in a clockwise direction as viewed in Figures 6 and 7.The upper cam face. which occupies substantially the upper half of thecam, has the trailing face of its lobes somewhat longer than those ofthe cam face which occupies substantiallv the lower half of the cam, asappears clearly from Figures 5. 6 and 7. It therefore follows that whenthe cam follower is in cooperative relation with the upper cam face, thebreaker contacts are held open for a longer portion of each actuationthan they are when the cam follower is in cooperative relationwith thelower cam face. Automatic means responsive to the speed of the engineare provided for raising the cam to bring the lower cam face in opposition to the cam follower when a predetermined speed is attained. Inthis way the duration of theperiod of electrical dwell is kept withindesirable limits at several predetermined ranges of engine speed. Theautomatic speed-controlled means will now be described.

A stationary outer shell 12 of bakelite or other suitable material iscarried onthe upper end of the standard 3, an anti-friction bearingbeing provided for the shaft 2 in the bottom of the shell immediatelyabove the upper end of the standard 3. Above this bearing the shaftcarries an annular cup or internal depending sleeve member 17 bearingaround the shaft 2 and fitting within the sleeve member 14 on the lowerplate. The plate 16 also has an upwardly extending sleeve portion 18which fits over and is rotatively secured to the lower end of the cam 1below the two cam faces, the cam member being provided with a horizontalflange 19 which bears on top of the sleeve portion 18. The plate 16 isalso provided at its outer periphery with an annular wedge member 20which is arranged reversely to and opposing the lower wedge member 15.

A plurality of balls 21. shown as six in number are disposed between thetwo plates 18 and 16 and are spaced by vertical pins 22, carried by thelower plate and extending with a free fit into holes in the upper plate,thereby serving to impart rotation from the lower plate to the upperplate and to the cam. The intermediate portion of these pins is madetriangular in cross section with their apices pointing radially inwardand their sides disposed in radial planes so as to per- -mit the ballsto slide radially outward under centrifugal force. As these balls slideoutwardly they wedge the plates apart. thereby elevating the plate 16and with it the cam 1 to bring the lower cam face into cooperativerelation with the cam follower. The tension of the spring 8 is such thatthis movement does not occur until a predetermined speed is attained.

A platform member 23 rests on top of the shell 12 and has a portionelevated as shown for carrying the parts of the breaker system. On thisplatform is also disposed two contact-carrying members 24 and 25 whichcarry cooperative contacts in the primary ignition circuit. The lowercontact-carrying member 24 is a flat sprin" having a bias to closedcontact position. The free end of this flat spring 24 extends underneaththe flange 19 on the cam. and the parts are so relatively disposed thatin the biased position of the cam, the flange 19 holds the the primarycircuit is thereby closed and at the same time rubbing friction betweenthe rotative cam and the non-rotative member 24 is avoided. The camfollower remains on the upper cam face during this entirely upwardmovement of the cam, and the coil spring 8 effectively opposes thetendency of the balls to further elevate the cam 111111112 the necessarycentrifugal force is attained at which speed the cam is" quickly movedup ward to bring the lower face into coopera tive relation with the camfollower.

It will be readily understood that with this construction there will besufficient lag on decreasing the speed to prevent hunting or in otherwords that there will be a differential of a few miles in the speed atwhich the automatic adjustment will take place on increasing anddecreasing the engine speed.

I have combined with this device a distributor construction embodyingthe invention disclosed in the co-pending application of Richard Varley,Serial No. 314,643. The stationary contacts 26 are carried by the shell12, being arranged radially around the bottom of the shell below thefixed ball-containing member 13. The internal or fiier member 27 of thedistributor is carried by the ball-containing member 13, being securedin any suitable way to its under side, and consists of an annulus ofbakelite or other suitable insulating material having a depending skirtportion fitting within the shell 12. The flier 28 extends up from aconnecting ring 29 on the bottom edge of the flier member to whichcurrent is conducted through a suitable lead 30.

To advance or retard the instant of sparking, means are provided formanually angularly adjusting the breaker system relative to the cam. Inthe form shown, the metallic base upon which the shell 12 rests isprovided with a radially extending arm 31 which is connected throughsuitable linkage to any convenient place 'of manipulation. Since theshaft 2and consequently the cam is rotated in a clockwise direction asshown in Fig. 2, it follows that an angular adjustment of the shell 12and the platform 23 and the breaker system carried thereby in acounterclockwise direction will serve to advance the spark, while anadjustment in a clockwise direction will serve to retard the spark.

I claim:

1. For an internal combustion engine, a breaker mechanism comprising adouble faced cam with the trailing faces of the lobes of one cam faceshorter than those of the other cam face, a cam follower controlling theignition circuit and cooperative with the cam, the cam and cam followerbeing relatively shiftable to bring the cam follower selectively intoengagement with the two cam faces, resilient means tending to hold theparts with the cam follower on the cam face having the longer trailingfaces, and means IQSpODSlX'G to the speed of the engine for relativelyshifting the cam and cam follower to bring the follower into engagementwith the cam face having the shorter trailing faces, the parts beingdesigned to restrain the relative shifting until a predeterminedspeed isattained and then to suddenly effect the relative shifting.

2. For an internal combustion engine, a breaker mechanism comprising acam member having along its length two adjoining lobed cams with thetrailing faces of the lobes of one. cam shorter than those of the othercam, a cam follower controlling the ignition circuit and adapted tocooperate with either of said cam faces, one of the two said membersbeing shiftable axially of the cam, resilient means tending to hold theshiftable member in an axial position with the cam follower on the camhaving the larger trailing faces, and means responsive to. the speed ofthe engine for shifting the shiftable member to bring the members intoposition with the follower on the cam having the shorter trailing faces,the parts be ing designed to restrain the said movement of the shiftablemember until a predetermined speed is attained and then to cause theshiftable member to shift suddenly tothe other operating position.

3. For an internal combustion engine, a breaker mechanism comprising acam member having along its length two adjoining lobed cams with thetrailing faces of the lobes of one cam shorter than those of the othercam, a cam follower controlling the ignition circuit and adapted tocooperate with either of said cam faces, one of the two said membersbeing shiftable axially of the cam, resilient means tending to hold theshiftable member in an axial position with the cam follower on the camhaving the longer trailing faces, and means responsive to the speed ofthe engine for shifting the shiftable member to bring the members intoposition with the follower on the cam having the shorter trailing faces,the parts being designed to restrain the said movement of the shiftablemember until a predetermined speed is attained and then to cause theshiftable member to shift suddenly to the other operating position; andmeans for angularly relatively adjusting the cam member and follower tocontrol the instant of sparking.

4. For an internal combustion engine, a breaker mechanism comprising acam member having along its length two adjoining lobed cams with thetrailing faces of the lobes of one cam shorter than those of the othercam, a cam follower controlling the ignition circuit and adapted tocooperate with either of said cam faces, one of the two said force andthereby axially separate the plates and shift the shiftable member tocause the cam follower to engage the cam having the shorter trailingface, and resilient means biasing the parts with the cam follower on theother cam and opposing the said shifting and adapted to restrain thesame until a predetermined speed is attained, whereby the shiftablemember is restrained until said predetermined speed is attained and thenis caused to shift suddenly to its other operating position.

For an internal combustion engine, a breaker mechanism comprising arotative and axially shiftable cam member having along its length twoadjoining lobed cams with the trailing faces of the lobes of one camshorter than those of the other cam, a cam follower controlling theignition circuit and adapted to co-operate with either of said camfaces, resilient means tending to hold the cam member in an axialposition with the cam follower on the cam having the longer trailingfaces, and means responsive to the speed of the engine for axiallyshifting the cam to bring the follower into engagement with the camhaving the shorter trailing faces, the parts being designed to restrainthe axial movement of the cam until a predetermined speed is attainedand then to cause the cam member suddenly to shift to its otheroperating position.

6. For an internal combustion engine, a breaker mechanism comprising arotative and axially shiftable cam member having along its length twoadjoining lobed cams with the trailing faces of the lobes of one camshorter than those of the other cam, a cam follower controlling theignition circuit and adapted to co-operate with either of said camfaces, resilient means tending to hold the cam member in an axialposition with the cam follower on the cam having the longer trailingfaces, and means responsive to the speed of the engine for axiallyshifting the cam to bring the follower into engagement with the camhaving the shorter trailing faces, the parts being designed to restrainthe axial movement of the cam until a predetermined speed is attainedand then to cause the cam member suddenly to shift toits other operatingposition; and manually operative means for angularly relativelyadjusting the cam follower to control the instant of sparking.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my signature.

JAMES C. ANDERSON.

